ELMIRA, N.Y. — Emma Crocker ’21 of the Elmira College women’s ice hockey team has been selected as one of seven finalists for the Laura Hurd Award, given annually to the top NCAA Division III player in the country. The winner will be announced next week on Thursday, March 26.
Crocker, the reigning United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) Player of the Year and an All-UCHC First Team recipient, looks to become the fourth skater in Elmira’s illustrious history to claim the country’s top individual honor. Past recipients include Ashley Ryan ’15 (2015), Kayla Coady ’09 (2009), and Laura Hurd ’05 (2005), for whom the award is named.
The other six finalists include University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire senior goaltender Erin Connolly, Norwich University senior forward Amanda Conway, Plattsburgh State junior forward Annie Katonka, Middlebury College junior forward Madie Leidt, Endicott College senior forward Jade Meier, and Adrian College senior defenseman Kelly O’Sullivan.
The native of Abington, Massachusetts, guided the Soaring Eagles to their third consecutive UCHC regular season and tournament title during the 2019-20 campaign. She led the Purple and Gold in points (44), goals (21), assists (23), power-play goals (7), and game-winning goals (6), all of which were career highs for the third-year forward.
Nationally, Crocker is tied for first in game-winning goals (6), third in points per game (1.57), seventh in goals per game (0.75), seventh in power play goals (7), and 13th in assists per game (0.82).
The AHCA Women’s Ice Hockey College Division Player of the Year Award was named in memory of four-time All-American and EC’s all-time scoring leader, Laura Hurd ’05, who died in an automobile accident shortly after graduation. Hurd, the 2005 AHCA Player of the Year, was a winner of two NCAA national championships at Elmira and still holds Division III records for single-season points (77), career points (237), single-season points per game (2.75), career points per game (2.15), single-season goals (40), career goals (120), career assists (117), and career assists per game (1.06).
Winners of the Laura Hurd Award
AHCA Women’s Ice Hockey College Player of the Year
2000 Sylvia Ryan Middlebury Forward
2001 Michelle Labbe Middlebury Forward
2002 Sarah Moe Gustavus Adolphus Forward
2003 Angela Kapus Middlebury Forward/Defense
2004 Molly Wasserman Williams Forward
2005 Laura Hurd Elmira Forward
2006 Emily Quizon Middlebury Forward
2007 Andrea Peterson Gustavus Adolphus Defense
2008 Danielle Blanchard Plattsburgh Forward
2009 Kayla Coady Elmira Forward
2010 Isabel Iwachiw Trinity Goaltender
2011 Sarah Dagg RIT Forward
2012 Julie Fortier Norwich Forward
2013 Teal Gove Plattsburgh Forward
2014 Sydney Aveson Plattsburgh Goaltender
2015 Ashley Ryan Elmira Forward
2016 Michelle Greeneway Lake Forest Forward
2017 Dani Sibley UW-River Falls Forward
2018 Melissa Sheeran Plattsburgh Forward
2019 Bre Simon Hamline Forward
